1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ice shaving apparatus used in a user's home for making shaved ice confections. In particular, the invention relates to improvements in such apparatus which provides safety features such that the apparatus can safely be used by children as well as adults.
2. State of the Art
Shaved and crushed ice confections have long been available at commercial establishments. The equipment used in the commercial field is heavy duty equipment which costs far more than can be justified for home use. Low cost apparatus for shaving ice has recently been offered, but the apparatus has had serious safety drawbacks, especially when used by children as well as adults, or the apparatus has been in essence a toy which is only marginally functional if at all.
None of the prior art ice shavers have had any protection provided against the sharp blade of the cutting or shaving unit. The cutting blade is exposed whenever the top of the apparatus is removed, such as when adding ice to the apparatus. The exposed cutting blade can be contacted by the fingers of the user, and such apparatus has not been approved for use by children especially. In addition, the prior art ice shavers have utilized sharp pointed projectiles extending from the dasher or ice press to engage the ice and move the ice against the cutting blade. These sharp pointed projectiles are also exposed when the cover is removed from the apparatus and become dangerous spikes which can injure the person using the apparatus.
3. Objectives
A principal objective of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive ice shaving apparatus for use at home by children as well as adults, wherein a novel blade guard is provided which is automatically activated when the cover of the apparatus is removed and withdrawn when the cover is replaced.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide such an improved ice shaving apparatus further having a secondary locking mechanism which locks the blade guard in its active position whenever the cover is removed from the apparatus.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an improved ice shaving apparatus having a novel dasher and rotatable ice chamber, wherein the dasher does not have spikes or pointed projections for engaging ice in the ice chamber, but rather the dasher and rotatable ice chamber have blunt ribs which engage the ice in the ice chamber.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide an improved ice shaving apparatus in which the ice chamber is formed by an inner chamber which rotates within an outer chamber, and at least one transparent window is provided in the outer chamber such that designs on the outer face of the inner chamber are visible through the window, with the designs rotating past the window as the inner chamber rotates.